# ArcEmu vs Linking Boy

The clearest difference is price: Linking Boy at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Linking Boy is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Linking Boy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 80% of Linking Boy's.

ArcEmu ships an update fortnightly, Linking Boy monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Linking Boy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | [4.2 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linking-boy/id6695762604/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 79.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 172 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Pixel Respawn LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769243202) |

## What reviewers say

### ArcEmu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733)

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

**Highlights:** Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation, Multiplayer support, Cheat codes, Customizable on-screen controls, Save State sharing, iCloud support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fully functional
- 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
- 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
- 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
- 👍 Customizable controls and layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
- 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
- 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
- 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices

**Requested features**

- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support


### Linking Boy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linking-boy/id6695762604)

Experience fast and feature-rich emulation for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy games. Enjoy multiplayer Link cable emulation, unlock achievements with RetroAchievements, and customize your gameplay with speed control, cheats, and enhanced visual options.

**Highlights:** Fast GBA/GBC/GB emulation, Link cable multiplayer, RetroAchievements support, Speed control (fast-forward/slow-down), Cheat support, Customizable virtual controls, Save states

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Features | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Linking Boy free?

Linking Boy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Linking Boy?

ArcEmu is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Linking Boy averages 4.2 from 41 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Linking Boy have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Linking Boy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Linking Boy?

ArcEmu ships an update fortnightly, and Linking Boy monthly. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on September 24, 2026 and Linking Boy on September 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*